Free on-site gate assessment - hinges, posts, and your LiftMaster or Nice gate operator checked before anything is quoted
The assessment is free and the quote is the invoice.
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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Access Control Across San Antonio
Gate access control in San Antonio means keypads, phone entry, card readers, and video intercoms that hold up to 105-degree sun and clay soil that moves more than any soil in Texas. We’re Gatewood Fence & Gate, and we’ve been repairing iron gates and the electronics bolted to them since 2001. When a keypad stops taking codes in Alamo Heights or a slide gate binds on the west side after a heavy rain, we show up, diagnose what actually failed, and fix it without telling you to replace the whole system. Call us at (877) 610-2993 and a live person answers, day or night.
Key Takeaways:
- We service and install keypad entry, phone entry, card readers, remote controls, and video intercom systems across San Antonio.
- Our crew knows how San Antonio’s expansive black clay and extreme heat wreck gate electronics and frames, and we fix it right the first time.
- Every job carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not right, Hal comes back. No runaround.
- We weld on site. Your gate stays in your driveway, not hauled to some shop across the county.
- Free estimates, upfront pricing, and a live person answers our phone 24/7.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is San Antonio’s Preferred Gate Access Control Company
Hal Gatewood’s name is on the shop, and the shop serves San Antonio directly. That’s the oldest accountability there is. When you call about a gate access control problem in San Antonio, you’re talking to a local business, not a call center three states away. We’ve been owner-operated since 2001, and our published address and license number are there for anyone to look up. That matters when you’re handing over access to your home.
Our San Antonio customers get the same person who answers the phone and the same crew that shows up in the window we promised. We’re background-checked and uniformed, and we carry certifications to service nine major gate brands including FAAC, BFT, Linear, and Viking. If your operator is an older model nobody wants to touch, that’s exactly the kind of job we take on.
Most importantly, we repair before we replace. We’ve watched national outfits tell San Antonio homeowners they need a whole new gate when the real problem was a corroded wire or a hinge post that the clay heaved out of plumb. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle. We find the real cause, weld it on site if it needs welding, and leave your iron gate looking like it belongs in San Antonio.
Our Gate Access Control Services in San Antonio
We handle the full range of Gate Access Control work in San Antonio, from simple keypad swaps to full phone entry and video intercom systems. Here’s what we do most often.
Keypad Entry
A keypad on a south-facing San Antonio gate takes a beating. Direct sun in July bakes the membrane buttons until they crack, and dust from the caliche soil works into the contacts. We install and repair keypads on everything from modern steel gates in newer north side subdivisions to hundred-year-old wrought iron rejas on the west side. If your keypad still works but the gate won’t respond, the problem is often in the wiring or the operator, not the pad itself.
Phone Entry
Phone entry systems let you buzz visitors in from anywhere. In San Antonio, where a lot of homes still have one shared driveway and older homes near King William have no line of sight from the house to the curb, phone entry is a real upgrade. We install systems tied to your landline or cell service, and we service the older hard-wired units that are common in west side and near south side properties built before wireless was an option.
Card Reader
Card readers are common in San Antonio’s gated communities and small commercial properties, but we install them on residential gates too. The main failure we see locally is heat-related: card readers with exposed housings in direct afternoon sun start ghosting and rejecting valid cards when the internal temperature climbs. We route new readers to shaded positions or install readers rated for the kind of thermal load a San Antonio August delivers.
Video Intercom
More San Antonio homeowners are adding video intercoms to their gates, especially on corner lots and streets like Broadway where foot traffic is constant. We install and service video intercom systems that integrate with your phone, so you see who’s at the gate before you ever open it. If you’ve got an older intercom with a dead screen or fogged lens, we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth repairing or time to replace.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Antonio
We’re certified to service FAAC, BFT, Linear, and Viking operators, along with LiftMaster, DoorKing, Elite, Ghost Controls, and Mighty Mule. San Antonio’s older iron gates often run on hardware that’s been out of production for a decade or more. We keep common replacement parts and boards in stock for the brands we see most often, and when a part is discontinued, we fabricate what’s needed locally. That’s the difference between waiting two weeks for a catalog part and getting your gate working today.
Common Gate Access Control Problems We See in San Antonio Homes
- Hinge posts heaving out of plumb: San Antonio’s black Vertisol clay expands when it rains and contracts in drought. A gate post set in March can lean visibly by August, throwing the whole gate frame out of square and binding the operator. We reset posts with deeper concrete collars that survive the seasonal cycle.
- Slide gate tracks pinching after rain: In 78207 and the near south side, the same clay expansion lifts and shifts the carriage rail under a slide gate. Rollers chew through rail, motors strain, and the gate starts grinding. We re-level the track, reset the wheels, and recalibrate travel limits so the motor isn’t fighting the soil.
- Sun-baked keypads and card readers: A south-facing gate in 78204 takes six or seven hours of direct sun in summer. Membrane buttons crack, LCD screens ghost, and exposed wiring insulation gets brittle. We mount replacements where air can circulate, or we install shades that keep the electronics from cooking.
- Freeze damage from cold snaps: San Antonio doesn’t freeze often, but when it does, like February 2021, hydraulic operators freeze, brittle welds crack under the strain of a misaligned gate, and keypads refuse entry. We then get those calls in clusters. If your gate survived Uri but has been slow or noisy since, it might be a cracked weld or a damaged motor seal. We’ll find it.
Pricing for Gate Access Control in San Antonio, TX
Here’s what you can expect to pay in San Antonio. A keypad replacement typically runs $180 to $340 installed, depending on the brand and whether we need to pull new wiring. Phone entry systems run $450 to $900 for a complete residential install. Card readers are $220 to $500 depending on housing and wiring. Video intercom systems start around $600 and go up from there based on the number of stations and phone integration. If your operator needs replacement parts or a new motor, you’re typically looking at $250 to $700. We quote the price up front, before any work starts, and the price you sign off on is the price you pay. No trip charge inside the county, and a free second opinion on any written estimate from another company. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact quote on your system.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Antonio
Beyond San Antonio proper, we regularly serve Gate Access Control in San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Kirby, and Windcrest. Each of those areas has its own mix of older ornamental iron and newer automated gates, and we know the quirks of both. If you’re in one of those neighborhoods, you’ll get the same local service and the same 90-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving San Antonio, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Antonio area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Gate Access Control in San Antonio
Your gate post is leaning because San Antonio sits on expansive black Vertisol clay that shrinks and swells more dramatically than almost any soil in Texas. When spring rains soak the ground, the clay swells and lifts the post footing. When summer drought hits, the clay shrinks and the post drops, but it almost never settles back exactly where it started. A post set plumb in March can be visibly out of level by August. The fix is a deeper concrete collar that anchors the post below the active shrink-swell zone. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll check your post alignment and tell you what a proper reset will cost.
Yes. In most cases we can add a keypad entry system to your existing ornamental iron gate without replacing the gate itself. The key is finding a mounting point that doesn’t disturb the gate’s original scrollwork or hinges, and routing wiring in a way that doesn’t deface the iron. We’ve done this throughout King William and the west side, where the rejas are part of the architectural character of the home. We mount the keypad on a post or plinth, run the wiring in conduit that matches the age of the property, and tie it into the operator. The gate keeps its character and you get modern access control. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free on-site estimate.
What’s happening is the clay soil under your slide gate track is swelling when it rains, which pinches the rail and binds the carriage wheels. Each cycle, the rollers chew a little more rail until the gate refuses to move. We see this constantly on the west side, where the Vertisol clay is at its most aggressive. The repair involves re-leveling the track, replacing worn rollers, and in many cases pouring a proper sub-base so the soil movement doesn’t keep attacking the rail. We can usually get a slide gate working the same day we diagnose it. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll come take a look.
Yes. Photocells, or safety eyes, are what stop a closing gate when a person, pet, or vehicle breaks the beam. Older San Antonio systems sometimes have photocells that are wired but misaligned, painted over, or disconnected entirely, and that’s a hazard. A gate that closes on a child or a dog can cause serious injury. We check photocell alignment and function on every access control service call, and we’ll tell you bluntly if yours aren’t doing their job. It’s not an upsell. It’s a safety issue. Call (877) 610-2993 if you want a professional to check your system.
A shared driveway easement in Alamo Heights means both properties have a legal right to use the gate that controls that driveway. We’ve handled many of these. The key is designing the access control so both households have working credentials, whether that’s separate keypad codes, separate card assignments, or dual phone entry programming. We also make sure the automated gate has a reliable fail-safe if the power goes out, so neither neighbor gets locked out. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free evaluation of your shared driveway setup.
Contact Gatewood Fence & Gate in San Antonio
When a gate access control system fails in San Antonio, you need someone who will answer the phone, show up when they said, and fix it without inventing problems. That’s us. We’re Gatewood Fence & Gate, locally owned and owner-operated since 2001, and we serve San Antonio from a published address with a license number anyone can look up. No voicemail, no call center, no chatbot. A live person answers our phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (877) 610-2993 now for a free estimate on any gate access control repair or installation in San Antonio. We’ll quote the price up front, and the price we quote is the price you pay.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving San Antonio since 2001.